IMPROVING STUDENTS’ SPEAKING SKILL THROUGH DISCUSSION IN GRADE XI OF SMA MUHAMMADIYAH 5 JATEN
2012/2013 ACADEMIC YEAR
PUBLICATION ARTICLE
Submitted as a Partial Fulfillment of the requirement for Getting Bachelor Degree of Education in
English Department
Proposed by:
Linna Marngatun Muflikhah A 320 090 150
SCHOOL OF TEACHER TRAINING AND EDUCATION MUHAMMADIYAH UNIVERSITY OF SURAKARTA
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IMPROVING STUDENTS’ SPEAKING SKILL THROUGH DISCUSSION IN GRADE XI OF SMA MUHAMMADIYAH 5 JATEN 2012/2013
ACADEMIC YEAR Linna Marngatun Muflikhah
A 230 090 150
School of Teacher Training and Education Muhammadiyah University of Surakarta
linnamarngatun@ymail.com
The objectives of this research are to describe whether or not teaching
speaking by using discussion method can increase students’ speaking skill and o identify the difficulties faced by the students in using discussion as method to increase their speaking skill in grade XI of SMA M 5 Jaten.In achieving the objectives of this research, the researcher uses collaborative research. Each cycle of this research consists of four steps: planning, implementing, observing, and reflecting. The subjects of this research consist of 26 students. In analyzing the data the researcher uses both qualitative and quantitative analysis. Qualitative analysis was done based the process of teaching and learning process. While quantitative analysis was done based to the scores of pre-test and post-test. There were three cycles in this research, each cycle conducted in two meetings. The result of the research shows that the average score of pre-test is 37.6, post-test one is 5.6, post-test two is 2 53, post-test three is 3 66.15 and final test is 63. Those scores indicate that the students have an improvement in speaking ability. Through discussion the students become more confident and more critical. Then, it can be called that teaching speaking through Discussion is succesful to improve students speaking ability in SMA M 5 Jaten. There were some weaknesses of discussion; (1) just problematic materials could be used, (2) some of them depend on with clever students, (3) many students may dominated the discussion, (4) subjective scoring, (5) moves slowly the class, and (6) takes long time.
Key word: Speaking skill, Discussion, Collaborative research. A. Introduction
Tarigan (1990:3-4) defines speaking as a language skill which is developed in childhood preceded with listening skill. It means that speaking is the
basic skill in learning language. Indeed, people mostly use language for
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Discussion is one of the methods which can be used to teach speaking. According to Jones (1994:1) “discussion is an activity in which people talk together in order to share information about a topic or problem or to seek possible available evidence or a solution”. Discussion is one of the way people can improve their speaking ability with talk to each other. It is means to make students active to communicate with others then they can learn second language
not intentionally. The student ought to build their critical thinking and being brave to say what in their main. The aims of the discussion based on Brookfield (2006:2) are to develop critical, informed understanding, enhance self-critique, foster appreciation for diverse views, and help people take informed action.
Previous studies have studied about method of teaching speaking, for example Nugroho (2011) used animated video, Khomah (2009) used jigsaw to improve speaking skill, Chandra (2008) used language game for teaching speaking, Hanim (2011) used U-shape seating arrangement for teaching speaking, Awaliaturrahmawati (2012) used outdoor activities to increase speaking skill, Hartati (2012) used games to improve students speaking skill, Ristyawati (2012) used telling short story to improve students speaking skill, Wijayani (2012) used stimulation to improve students speaking skill, Salam (2011) used Role –Play to improve students speaking skill, and Sulistyatini (2011) used semantic mapping to improve students speaking skill. Nevertheless research on the use of discussion has never been studied before, therefore this study to fill the gap.
B. Literary Review 1. Speaking Skill
Tarigan (1990:15) states that “speaking is ability to produced articulation sounds or sentences that express an idea or feeling”. Based on his theory speaking is the device to communicate ideas arranged and
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voice muscle mechanisms, but also has a mental aspect which is a capability to catch the meaning and the sound produced. According to Tarigan (1990:15) the goal of the speaking is “communication”. For the effectiveness to deliver the meaning of the idea then both the speaker and the listener ought to understand the idea of the conversation. There are many aspects of speaking skill there are utterance, Vocabulary, grammar,
content and meaning, and pronunciation. 2. Notion of Discussion
According to Jones (1994:1) “discussion is an activity in which people talk together in order to share information about a topic or problem or to seek possible available evidence for solution”. Arends (2008:74) states that “discussion is to engage in verbal interchange and to express thought on particular subjects”. Tarigan (1985:36) states that “discussion is one of the methods that solve the problems through think group, cooperation, and steps”. Brookfield (2006:2) states that “discussion is discipline and focused exploration of mutual concerns but with no end point predetermined in advance”. According to Jones (1996:1) there are types of discussion;
a. The whole-class Discussion is the type generally referred to when facilitators employ the discussion method. The facilitator simply leads an informal discussion involving the class as a whole. The facilitator, as the director of the discussion, asks questions, clarifies student comments, and makes tentative summaries to help students achieve understanding of the topic.
b. Debate is generally used in the classroom as a small- group technique, with a small number of students teamed on either side of an issue. Each team is given a specific amount of time to present its "side" of the issue. The members can alternate presentations and often are identified as "pro" and "con" with respect to the issue. Rebuttals of specific time duration then follow the presentations. Upon conclusion of the debate, the facilitator can enter into a whole-class discussion on the issue.
c. Position Reversal Debate is similar to debate, except both groups are required to take notes on the other team 's "position presentation." Teams then switch positions and debate the other point of view using the notes. They then work on solving the problem that started the debate utilizing vantage points from both points of view. This discussion format helps students develop conflict resolution, problem solving, and consensus building skills.
3. Previous Study
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improve the students’ speaking skill especially in using grammar, using the appropriate vocabulary, and pronouncing the words correctly. Candra (2008) had conducted a research on the use of Language Games in teaching speaking skill. Her research shows that most of the students of the English as a Foreign Language are quite difficult to improve their English speaking ability since they are accustomed to use their native language in their daily
life.
Although many previous study studied on methods of teaching speaking, nevertheless research on the use of discussion has never been studied before, therefore this study to fill the gap.
C. Research Method
The writer used collaborative method. A collaborative method is the method that the researcher makes collaboration with the teacher for teaching lessons. Katz and Martin (1995) state that “research collaboration” could be defined as the working together of researchers to achieve the common goal of producing new scientific knowledge”. Then, both researcher and the teacher are working together to achieve the goal.
The data of this research taken from the result of pre-test and post test. Technique of collecting data, the researcher used instrument namely: observation, interview and documentation. The steps in analyzing the data as follows:
1. Observing the process of teaching learning before used the discussion method in teaching speaking in grade XI of SMA Muhammadiyah 5 Jaten
2. Discussing the process of the discussion method in teaching learning
process in grade XI of SMA Muhammadiyah 5 Jaten
3. Collecting the data from the observation of teching learning process
and interview the teacher and the student
4. Classify the data from observation and interview at SMA Muhammadiyah 5 Jaten
5. Discussing the finding of the research
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D. Findings and Discussion
In this research the researcher found the students’ pronounciation and fluency increased significantly.
In this research the researcher used discussion in the form of debate for her method of teaching speaking. Thefollowing is the model used by the researcher:
Government Opposite
1 (Argument)
2 (Answer)
3 (Question)
So on
1 (Argument)
2 (Question)
3 (Answer)
So on
The researcher divided the class into two groups government and opposite. After that the teacher gave the students the issue for debate, the researcher gave them ten minutes for building case. After finishing building case the researcher asked government team to deliver their argument, then it was continued by opposite team argument and their question. Next, the government team answered the opposite question and so on. Every student have chance to deliver their argument, question or answer. Then, they have to drill their speaking ability in discussion session.
Not all students speak only few of them. Just the speaker could measure their speaking abilty. The researcher solved this problem by giving direction to the students to organize their teams such as some of them delivered arguments, some of them asked question, and some of them answered the questions.
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The diagram shows that the average scores were pre-test (37,6), post-test 1 (45,6), post-test 2 (53), post-test 3 (66,15) and final test (63). The diagram above
shows the effectiveness of discussion method implemented in speaking class. The students increased their speaking ability rapidly. It is supported by the result of the questionare. It is shows 96,15% students agreed to apply discussion as their method for learning English.
The result of the graphics above showed that teaching speaking using discussion method was effective because it could improve students speaking ability. The students could learn from her/his friends and solve the problems by discussion. Then, the teacher was not as the main source of the materials but her/his friends. The students who had the background knowledge tried to explain to their friends.
Although, the students still made errors in pronuncing some words such as:
[s] cell phone, [] study, [aI] mobile, [e] lesson, and [ ] disturb, the researcher also showed students’ errors as follows:
Students Number Pre –Test Final –Test
1 Silent -
2 [ə] [ŋ]
3 [ʌ] -
4 - -
5 [i] [e] -
6 - [aɪ]
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26
pre - test
cycle 1
cycle 2
cycle 3
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7 Absent [e]
8 - -
9 [t] -
10 Absent Absent
11 [e] [aɪ] [aɪ]
12 - -
13 Silent -
14 - -
15 - -
16 [t] -
17 - -
18 [t] [s] [ə] [ ]
19 [ ] [z] -
20 Silent -
21 Absent [e]
22 - Absent
23 [ŋ] Absent
24 - -
25 [ʌ] -
26 [ʊ] Absent
The student improvement showed not only from their pronunciation but also from their fluency. Here the examples of student opinion on should not bring
mobile phone to the school in pre and final test:
Name Pre Test Final Test
Devi Anggraini
“I am agree because very disturb teaching learning, can make student lazy”
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Istiqomah “I am agree because disturb teaching learning process better teaching...”
“In my opinion I am agree with the case, because if students bring mobile phone to the school of course will effected playing mobile phone and not study, I think better school should not give permission to bring mobile phone to the school”
Jantung Nawang
Did not say anything “I am agree with it. Because if we bring mobile phone to the school can disturb teaching learning and maybe they will use mobile phone for something not useful, for
example: send message, facebook or etc. I think better if we not bring mobile phone to the school, so we can more focus in teaching learning process.”
Aliffunny Pusparirin
“I am agree because because disturb the study. I hope the students pay attention the teacher and study process”
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After several treatments the students were more quickly memorized sentences they wrote. Because they had been familiar with the vocabularies they could memorize faster than before.
Based on the result of research, discussion had advantage and disadvantage. There were some advantages of discussion; (1) it gave entire class opportunity to deliver their idea, (2) the students could drill the target language; (3) discussion
could stimulate critical thinking, (4) discussion involved the whole class, and (5) the students solved the problem as teamwork. There were some disadvantages of discussion; (1) just problematic materials could be used, (2) some of them depend on with clever students, (3) many students may dominated the discussion, (4) the class moved slowly, and (5) discussion took long time.
E. Conclusion
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